There are two basic machining operations that are well known in the art. These might be broadly categorized as “profiling” where material is removed from a workpiece to produce a specified shape and surface finish and “holemaking” where material is removed from a workpiece to produce a drilled, tapped, or counterbored hole. With regard to profiling, in order to profile a workpiece, there are three basic processes for removing material from a workpiece viz. deformation, electrolysis and ablation. Deformation is a process where a cutting tool removes material from a workpiece by direct contact. This process is the least restricted in the shapes and materials that can be cut by the cutting tool. The “turning” and “milling” processes are the most common examples of deformation. Electrolysis is a process where a cathode electrochemically dissolves material from an anodized workpiece. This process is restricted to electrically conductive materials. Electrochemical and electrical discharge machining are examples of electrolysis. Finally, ablation is a process where a beam of energy vaporizes or erodes material from a workpiece. The ablation process is limited to flat work that lacks the requirement for three-dimensional features. Laser and water-jet cutting are examples of the ablation process.
In order to remove material by deformation, or sometimes called “contact machining”, there are two basic mechanisms. The first is rotary motion in which either the cutting tool or the workpiece is fixtured to a spindle and rotated to provide sufficient force to remove material. In turning, the workpiece rotates as the cutting tool moves through it. Similarly in a milling process, the cutting tool rotates as it moves through the workpiece. The second is non-rotary motion in which neither the cutting tool nor the workpiece rotates and the force of the linear motion of the tool relative to the workpiece is sufficient to remove material. Shaping, planing, and broaching are examples of non-rotary machining techniques using deformation.
A problem associated with these types of prior art processes is that they do not include techniques for precisely and rapidly machining complex and/or extreme shapes out of ductile and brittle materials in mass production, mass customization, and make-to-order manufacturing environments.